Stitching mechanism



Oct. 15, 1940- R's. PHILLIPS 2,217,967

swncume mscmmxsu Filed Feb. 5, 1937 s Sheets-Sheet 1 'INVENTOR k? IMWrS. m 9444,64 1 ELWL ATTORN EY5 1 0- M R.- s. I PHILLIPS 2,217,957

STITCHING MECHANISM ATTORN EYJ Oct. 15, 1940. R 5, ips 2,217,967-

STI'ICHING MECHANISM Filed Feb. 3, 1937 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR Km 5 BY 9M 11 TM ATTORNEYS R. s. PHILLIPS 2,217,967

STITC-HING MECHANISM Filed Eels. 3, 193'? 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 ATTORN EYS Oct. 15, 1940. R. s. PHILLIPS STITCHING MECHANISM 5 Sheets-Sheet' 5 Filed Feb. 3, 1937 lNVENTgR Med 7W I QuMbQ-TMA 'ATTORNEYS Patented Oct. 15, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ican Hair & Felt Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Delaware Application February 3, 1937, Serial No. 123,790

4 Claims.

The invention relates to machines for stitching together a plurality of layers of material to form a composite of laminated sheet, generally quite thick, and more particularly sheets of the type having a fibrous inner layer and covering layers of paper.

Heretofore the stitching of material of the type above described has been done on a machine in which the needles areicarried on the ends of eccentric rods which are given a swinging move-.

ment. In these prior machines the needles act to 'tear the paper covering as they enter and leave the same and are subjected to stresses that frequently cause breakage and the thickness of the material on which the machine will operate is limited. The general object of this invention is to provide a stitching mechanism in which the needles are relieved of stresses tending to cause breakage, are prevented from tearing the outer covering during the stitching operation and will stitch thicker materials than heretofore possible. More particularly according to the present invention the needles are moved normal to the material during the stitching operation and with the material at substantially the same speed as the material itself.

A further object of the invention is to provide a stitching mechanism of the type above described in which the material is punched or perforated in advance of the stitching needle so as to relieve said stitching needle of punching strains.

The invention further consists in the several features hereinafter set forth and more particularly defined by claims at the conclusion hereof.

In the drawings;

' Fig. 1 is a front elevation view of stitching mechanism embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an end elevation view, parts being broken away;

Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of'Fig. 4; I

Fig. 6 is a detail view of the drive to the needle operating cams; a

Fig. 7 is a detail view of the drive to one set of shuttles;

Fig. 8 is a detail view of the drive to the other set of shuttles; 1

Fig. 9 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 9-9 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 10 is a diagrammatic view to show the action of the needles.

Referring to the drawings and more particularly to Fig. 10, the composite material is shown as comprising a layer l2 of fibrous material such 5 as hair felt, hemp, jute, or other suitable material having paper coverings l3 adapted to be secured thereto by stitching which passes through the various layers. The machine includes a plurality of stitching devices, each having a needle M 00-. operating with an oscillatory shuttle l5, Fig. 2, of well known construction. The general operation of the needles is shown in Fig. 10 wherein the needle [4 is carried by a reciprocatory and laterally movable bar l6, said needle being shown 15 in dotted lines at A as it starts into the material, in full lines at B as it completes its stroke, and in dotted lines at C as it reaches the upper end of its stroke. It will be noted that the needle moves normal to the plane of the material being stitched, 20 and at the same time it moves with the advancing material and at the same speed as the material, this movement being represented by the lower half D of the movement diagram figure, the upper half E of said figure representing the 25 return stroke of the needle above the material which occurs at a faster 'rate. A punch l'l preferably of lneedle form but heavier than the stitching needle is mounted on the bar l6 so as to move therewith and acts to punch a hole I8 '30 in the material in advance of the stitching needle and which hole registers with said last named needle as the material is advanced.

As shown in Fig. 1 there are two-sets of needling devices, one set having the needle .bars I6 and 35 the other set the needle bars l6 which Work in the spaces between the bars I6. Each set of needle bars .is similar, but their movements are displaced one hundred and eighty degrees apart so as to act to counterbalance each other and thus reduce vibration effects in the machine. Each of the bars I6 is mounted for straight line reciprocation in vertically disposed spaced guides 19 pivotally carried at 20 on similarly spaced horizontally reciprocatory members 2| 1 slidably mounted in spaced guides 22 formed as a part of brackets 23 bolted to the main frame 24 of the machine; see Fig. 2.

The bars l6 are moved up and down through a connection with a power driven shaft 25 having 'an eccentric 26 mounted thereon operatively connected by a connecting rod 21 and pin 28 with an arm 29 mounted on an oscillatory shaft 30 which carries a plurality of arms 3|, each operatively connected through spaced links 32 with a block 33 on the bar l5 associated therewith. Thus for every revolution of the shaft 25 the bars l5 are given one complete reciprocation. The arm 29 is slotted at '34 to provide an adjustable connection for the rod 28 so as to vary the extent of movement of said arm and consequently the shaft 30 so as to lengthen or shorten the stroke of the bars l6 depending upon the thickness of the material being handled.

The bars I6 are reciprocated horizontally by spaced oscillatory shafts 35 each carrying a segmental gear 36 meshing with rack teeth 31 formed on the associated member 22, and cam operated means are used for simultaneously operating said bars so as to move them during the stitching operation at the same speed as the movement of the material being stitched.

As herein shown in Fig. 4, the cam operated means comprises yoke bars 31, one for each shaft 35 and medially connected thereto and connected together in parallel relation by the rods or links 38. The lower bar 31 is .also connected at its opposite ends by bars 39 to opposite ends of an oscillatory lever pivotally mounted on a shaft 4| and having an intermediate-arm 42 provided with a roller 43 working between complementary cams 44 on spaced shafts 45, each of which carries a sprocket 46 connected by a chain 41 with a sprocket 48 on the drive shaft 25. Each cam is so designed that the members 22 will have a uniform motion toward the left as viewed in Fig. 2 and at a speed substantially equal to that of the travel of the material being stitched, the lower half D of the arrowed diagram in Fig. 10 and drawn to double the scale of the transverse movement showing this movement. The result is that during the stitching there are no side strains imposed on the needles by the moving material as the needles move in and out of the same. During the time that the needles are out of the material the shafts 35 under the action of the cams 44 will be given a quick return motion to the right represented by the upper half E of the needle movement diagram shown in Fig. 10. This movement of the needles coupled with their movement normal to the material prevents breakage of the needles and also tearing of the paper during the time the needles are in it, and it also permits stitching of thicker materials than has heretofore been possible. The usual spring pressed presser foot 49 is carried by rods slidably mounted in guides 5| carried by the lower of the members 2|, there being a spring 52 interposed between each guide and the lower end of each rod.

Each of the stitching devices above described also has a thread tensioning mechanism including a lever 53 mounted on an oscillatory shaft 54 which, as shown in Fig. 3, has a crank arm secured thereto whose slotted end is connected by a. pin 55 with a vertically slidable bar 5'! guided in brackets 58 and provided with a cam roller 59 working in a grooved cam 50 mounted on a shaft 6| journalled in the frame of the machine andcarrying a sprocket 62 connected by chain 63 with a sprocket 53' on the drive shaft 25. This tensioning mechanism acts to tension the thread passing through an eye 54 on said lever and over a friction device and associated with the needle I4, the arm or lever 53 moving down as the bar l6 moves down.

For oscillating the shuttles for the stitching devices including the needle bars I6, the shaft 66 of each shuttle, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 7 has a sprocket 51 connected by a chain 68 with a pulley 69 mounted on a shaft 10 and to which the ends of the'chain are adjustably fastened at 68'. As shown in Fig. 3, the shaft 10 carries an arm 1| having an adjustable pin and slot connection at 12 with one end of a link 13 whose 5 other end is connected to one arm of a bell crank lever 14 pivotally mounted on 'a shaft 15 and having its other arm connected by an adjustable pin and slot connection at 16 with one end of a connecting rod 17 whose large end works over an eccentric 78 mounted on a shaft 19 connected by a sprocket and chain 8| with a sprocket B2 on the drive shaft 25. The adjustable connections i2 and i6 permit the varying of the rotative movement of the shuttle. 15

The mechanism for actuating the bars i5 is similar to that for the bars l5, and the parts l4, l1, I9, 20', 2|, 23, 30, 3|, 32', 33, and 35' are similar to the parts l4, l1, I9, 20, 2|, 23, 3c, SI, 32, 33, and 35 respectively. The shaft 30 is oscillated by the shaft 30 through the segmental gears 83 and 84, and since both of these shafts are operated by a single eccentric 26 the timing is more accurate than.devices heretofore known in theart. The shafts 35' each have a g segmental gear 38' meshing with a toothed portion (not shown) on the members 2| but similar to the rack portion 22 of the members 2|.

The shafts 35 are oscillated, as shown in Fig. 5, by cam operated means comprising yoke bars 31 one for each shaft and medially connected thereto and connected together in parallel relation by the rods or links 38. The lower bar Si is also connected by bars or links 39 to the ends of an oscillatory lever 40 pivotally mounted on 37, the shaft 4| and having an intermediate arm 42 provided with a roller 43' working between complementary cams 44' on the spaced shafts 45.

The thread tensioners or take ups for this second set of stitching devices each include a lever 5.) 53 similar to the lever 53 and mounted on a shaft 54 having an arm 55' connected by a pin and slot connection 56 with a bar 51' similar to the bar 51 and provided with'a roller 59 working in a grooved cam 60' on the shaft 5|. For oscillating the shuttles for the second set of needles the shaft 66' of the shuttles therefor carries a sprocket 61 engaging one side of a chain 68 running over the drive pulley 69 and a pulley on a'shaft 86 which acts to drive the shaft 66 30 in the opposite direction from that of the shaft 66. It is also to be noted that the movements of the needle bars l6 are displaced one hundred eighty degrees from that of the bars "5.

The material being stitched is fed along the 5 table 81 and between the needles and the shuttles by oppositely disposed feed rollers 88 and 89 mounted on shafts 90 and 9|, the upper roller having its shaft 90 carried in bearings 92 vertically slidably movable in the frame 24. Both of these rollers are driven in any suitable manner from the drive shaft 26 so as to advance the material past the needles at the same rate as the neatlles move horizontally.

In the operation of the sewing mechanism a thread is carried down and through the material by the needle, and the loop formed by this thread is interlocked with a thread carried by the bobbin 93 of the shuttle |5 in known manner. In this way the layers of the material are stitched together by longitudinally extending rows of stitches. 4

I desire it to be understood that this invention isnot to be limited to any particular form 75 or arrangementof parts except in so far as such limitations are included in the claims.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In a device of the character described, the combination of a plurality of stitching devices, each of said devices including a reciprocatory needle movable at all times normal to the work being stitched, means for moving the work, means for reciprocating said needle, means for moving said needle during its period of work penetration, with the work and at substantially the same speed as the work is moved, and means for returning the needle ,on its movement out of the work, at a. faster rate than its movement with the work.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination of a plurality of stitching devices, each of said devices including a reciprocatory needle movable at all times'normal to the work being stitched, means for moving the work, means for reciprocating said needle, and cam operated means for imparting a uniform movement to the needle, during its period of work penetra tion, in the direction of movement of the work.

3. In a. device of the character described, the combination of a plurality of stitching devices, each of said devices including a reciprocatory needle movable at all times normal to the work being stitched, means for moving said needle during its period of work penetration withthe work and comprising a pair of parallelogram frames and oscillatory shafts moved by said frames, and cam means for moving said frames to movesaid needles at substantially the same speed as the work is moved.

4. In a device of the character described, the combination of a plurality of stitching devices, ,each of said devices including a. reciprocatory needle movable at all times normal to the work being stitched, means for moving the work, means for reciprocating said needle, and means for moving said needle during its period of work penetration at a substantially uniform rate with? .the work and at substantially the same rate as the work is moved. j

ROBERT S. PHILLIPS. 

